<p>I was curious what other people were awarded. For as low as my family's income, I thought maybe we would get more, but maybe this is considered a lot?</p>
<p>II. UNOFFICIAL NEED-BASED AID<br>
Federal Pell Grant $3600
Recommended Subsidized Direct Loan $5500</p>
<p>I don’t think your subsidized loan can be more than $3500 if you’re a freshman. Also, Pell depends strictly on your EFC. The max next year is $5350, so your EFC must have been higher than 0. If that’s all the need based aid you got, I’d say it’s not a generous offer. But hopefully you got merit aid to offset it and maybe an ACG will come.</p>
<p>SK8rmom is right. The maximum Stafford loan a freshman can get is $5500 of which up to $3500 can be subsidized.</p>
<p>efc= 3200
pell grant= 2100
uci grant = 13,930</p>
<p>I’m a transfer student, so maybe it’s different.</p>
<p>I’m just dumbfounded right now, my family is critically poor, my parents are barely getting by, their income for last year was very very low, yet this is all they give me?</p>
<p>I’m not someone who wants something for nothing, but I know the funds are available and I know I’m in a category that severely needs these funds. I don’t even know how I’m gonna get through school now, I can’t take on that much student loan debt.</p>
<p>Is there a possibility there was a mistake? Is it maybe because I applied past the deadline? Or possibly some other factor?</p>
<p>Any assistance is appreciated. I worked really hard to get into a four year school, and now it seems like I may not be able to go.</p>
<p>Not sure where you are, but with a Pell you could also be eligible for an ACG or Smart grant, depending on your year in school and you grades and your major.</p>
<p>Also, what about a state grant?</p>
<p>If you missed the deadline, ask them what the package would have looked like on time and then perhaps you could choose to take a year off and apply on time for the next year??</p>
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<p>This could very definitely have been a factor. Schools only have a certain amount of need based aid, other than Pell, to disburse. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. The fact that you are a transfer, not a freshman, may have an impact on the amount of institutional aid which depends on their policies and goals. Your $3600 Pell indicates an EFC around $1800. That is low, but there are many 0 EFC kids and often FSEOG, Perkins, and institutional aid goes there first.</p>
<p>Agree with somemom, you need to have this conversation with their fin aid office and admissions and consider a year off if they’re willing to defer. In the future, ALWAYS apply early for aid!</p>